Screen



l.. G. sYMoNs 2,172,551

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l.. G. sYMoNs l SCREEN Filed May ll, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ayia/72%;

Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE SCREEN Application May 11, 1938, Serial N0. 207,245

11 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in screens and has for one purpose the provision of an improved deck or screening surface.

l Another purpose is the provision of a screening surface, parts of which may readily be removed when worn without removing or replacing the screening surface as a whole.

Another purpose is the provision of improved supporting means for screening bars. Another purpose is the provision oi' a rod or wire screen in which abutments of yielding, compressible material are employed and in which the iiexure of the rods or wires holds the abutments or supports in position.

Another purpose is the provision of supports which shall not merely position the wires or rods but shall also protect the transverse supporting structure of the screen itself from friction.

Another purpose is the provision of improved means for causing agitation of the material as it moves along the screen.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification` and claims.

The present application is a continuation in' part of my co-pending application Serial No. 170,411, led October 22, 1937, as a division of my previous application Serial No. 156,511, filed on July 30, 1937.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagram- 3d matically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation with parts in section;

Figure 2 is a partial plan View;

Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal vertical section of the structure shown in Figure l, on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line l-ll of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a sectionA on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, I illustrate any suitable means generally indicated as I whereby material to be separated may be fed to the screen I6 which may be reinforced by strengthening' members or plates I1, to which the screening structure proper may be secured. I8 indicates a transverse angle at the feed end of the screen box. A plurality of transverse angles I9 also connect the side plates I1 at various intervals along the length of the screen box. Intermediate these angles I9, which serve as supports for the end abutments of the rods below described, there are 5 intermediate angles 20. At the top of the angles I9 may be Iwelded channels 2l, the backs of which are vertical and secured directly against the upwardly extending portion of the channels I9. Along the upper edges of the intermediate 10 angles 20 are secured horizontal channels 22. The intermediate angles 20 may if necessary be further reinforced by inclined plates 23 which may be welded at their upper and lower edges as shown in Figures 1 and 3. 15

The rods are indicated at 28 and may be normally rectilinear, or, if desired, slightly flexed. They are straight in the general sense that there is no recurvature of the ends of the rods, but in use they are subjected to flexure, as shown in the 20 drawings.- It will be understood that when in the claims I describe the rods as generally straight, I wish that term to be construed with sufficient breadth to cover slightly curved or bent rods.

The rods are received at their ends in abutment blocks or supports 25 of yieldable compressible material, such for example as rubber or its equivalent. These abutments or supports may be reinforced as by mesh or fabric or threads or 30 other suitable material, as shown at 26. They are provided with a plurality of spaced apertures 21 adapted to receive the ends of the rods 28.

I nd it desirable to subject the rods during use to a degree of exure and preferably to an 35 upward arching. The end angles I!)V and the intermediate angles 20 are so spaced and proportioned in relation to each other thatv the rods are upwardly arched as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

As intermediate abutments for the rods I may 40 uemploy for example the members 29 which are similar to the members 25 except that they are located generally horizontally in the upwardly concave channels 22. The members 29 may be reinforced by fabric or threads 3|. They are 45 provided with a plurality of spaced indentations 30 as shown in Figure 4 whereby the rods are not merely kept under flexure but are laterally spaced from each other a uniform distance whereby accurate screening is permitted. The spaced 5D indentations 3U are formed with overhanging lips or edges as at 30a in such fashion that the material partially overlies the tops of the rods. This further reduces any tendencyA of material to wedge in between the rods and the members 28, 55

downwardly through the intervals between adjacent rods 28. The protection of the transverse supports thus provided is valuable and lengthens the life of the screen structure.

Where the transverse member I9 is located intermediate the ends of the screen, two adjacent members may be employed but, as shown for example in Figure v3, they are formed to abut against each other as at 25e and to form in effect a single member or barrier across the screen with the single forward inclined face 25h..

It will be realized that whereas I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing vfrom the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken asin a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

The structure herein described and claimed has certainly very substantial practical advantages. In the first place, if any part of the mesh becomes worn, the individual rods which form that part of the mesh can readily and individually be removed. All that is necessary is the application of sufficient exure to the rods to lift them upwardly away from supports 29 and to withdraw them from the apertures 21 of the members 25. This is readily done and the mesh can thus be repaired piece-meal without a complete removal or replacement of all of the rods. The result is a great saving in time and in material. v

The supports 25 and 29 are so placed and have such a relation to each other and to the rods that the spring of the rods themselves will hold the supports in place in the channels in which they are positioned, without the necessity of any permanent securing means, bolting, cementing or the like. Thus, when it becomes necessary at rather infrequent intervals to replace these supports, they can readily be removed by the mere removal of the rods themselves. And this can be done section by section of the screen.

It will be noted that the pressure is up on the end supports and down on the middle supports 29, both sets of supports being thereby firmly` held in position against unintended removal. The fact that the rubber end supports 25 project upwardly above the ends of the wires and protect the channels and adjacent cross bars from wear due to the travel of material across the screen surface is a furtherl factor in lengthening the life of the screen and in reducing the time lost by necessary replacements.

Note further that the end supports with their inclined forward faces 25h constitute an obstruction over which the material being screened has to ride. This obstruction tends to dam back and temporarily to stir up the material which allows the fine particles to filter down through the coarse and effects a stratification thereby which results in a quicker and cleaner screening action. The more the material is stirred and agitated','the better is the screening, and the stratification thusobtainedis important, especially when oversizev and undersize materials to be screened are close to the same dimensions and a close separation is desired.

The fabric which is-employed in connection with the supports further lengthens their life and is important in preventing lateral stretching which would destroy the uniformity of the separation between adjacent apertures 21 or adjacent notches 30.

It will be noted, as for example in Figure 4, that when the rods 28 are sealed inthe indentations 30, they flt tightly therein, and the material of the members 29 overhangs or extends over the rods as at 30a. In practice, the rods 28 may -fit so tightly that the rubber bulges slightly inwardly, which results in a less acute angle, and a minimum tendency of material to lodge or A stay in the spaces. above the rods;

Note that the rods may be taken out and turned end to endin the event one end wears more rapidly than the other. This permits a further saving of materialand constitutes a substantial advantage over ordinary wire mesh screen. In practice, it frequently happens that the wear at the opposite ends of the same rod is different.

I claim:

l. In a screen member, a plurality of spaced supports, a plurality of generally parallel generally rectilinear metal rods extending between said supports, said supports being apertured to receive the ends of said rods, the length of the individual rods, in relation to the spacing between said supports, being sufficient normally to maintain said v rods with their ends located in said apertures, said rods being sufficiently flexible to permit individual removal of each rod in response to the fiexure of such rod and the consequent reduction of its effective length, the apertured portions of said supports being formed of a. flexible com-'-| pressible material.

2. In a screen member, a plurality of spaced supports, a plurality of generally parallel generally rectilinear metal rods extending between' said supports, said supports being apertured to receive the ends of said rods, the length of the individual rods, in relation to the spacing between said supports, being suiciently normally to maintain said rods with their ends located :in said apertures, said rods being suiliciently flexible to permit individual removal of each in response to the flexure of such rod and the consequent reduction of its effective length, the apertured portions of said supports being formed of a flexible compressible material and being removable frorn said supports.

3. In a screen member, transverselyextending ,Y

`said supports, said supports being apertured to receive the extreme ends of said rods, said rods t when in normal inserted position extending at each end into said apertures, said rods being sufficiently flexible to permit their withdrawal by flexure, and intermediate transversely extending members of flexible compressible material normally in engagement with intermediateportions of said rods when said rods are in normal inserted position.

5. In a screen member, transversely extending supports of iiexible compressible material, generally rectilinear iiexible rods extending between said supports, said supports being apertured to receive the extreme ends of said rods, said rods when in normal inserted position extending at each end into said apertures, said rods being sufficiently flexible to permit their withdrawal by flexure, and intermediate transversely extending members of ilexible compressible material normally in engagement with intermediate portions of said rods when said rods are in normal inserted position, said intermediate members having faces provided with apertures adapted to receive and partially to surround said rods.

6. In a screen member, transversely extending supports of exible compressible material, generally rectilinear flexible rods extending between said supports, said supports being apertured to receive the extreme ends of said rods, said rods when in normal inserted position extending at each end into said apertures, said rods being suiciently flexible to permit their withdrawal by iiexure, and intermediate transversely extending members of iiexible compressible material normally in engagement with intermediate portions of said rods when said rods are in normal inserted position, said intermediate members being adapted to maintain said rods under flexure when the rods are in normal inserted position.

7. In a screen member, a pair of generally parallel supports of yieldable compressible material, a plurality of generally parallel generally rectilinear flexible rods extending between said supports, the ends of said rods penetrating said sup-- ports, said supports being provided with apertures adapted to receive and position said rod ends in predetermined relationship, said rods being individually removable.

8. In a screen member, a frame including transversely extending frame members of metal, transversely extending supports of ilexible compressible material associated with said frame members and including portions overlying and shielding the tops thereof, generally rectilinear flexible rods extending between said supports, said supports being apertured to receive the extremel ends of said rods, said rods, when in normal inserted position, extending at each end into said apertures, said rods being suinciently flexible to permit their withdrawal by flexure.

9. In a screen member, a frame including transversely extending channel members, pairs of said channel members having their open sides opposed, transversely extending supports of flexible material associated with said channel members and each including a portion penetrating the opening of the channel member, and a portion overlying and shielding the top of the channel, generally rectilinear exible rods extending between said supports, said supports being apertured to receive the extreme ends ofsaid rods, said rods, when in normal inserted position, extending at each end into said apertures, said rods being suiliciently iiexible to permit their withdrawal by iiexure.

10. In a screen member, a frame including transversely extending frame members of metal, transversely extending supports of flexible compressible material associated with said frame members and including portions overlying and shielding the tops thereof, generally rectilinear ilexible rods extending between said supports, said supports being apertured to receive the extreme ends of said rods, said rods, when in normal inserted position, extending at each end into said apertures, said rods being suiciently flexible to permit their withdrawal by exure, additional frame members intermediate the ends of the rods, and additional supports of exible compressible material mounted on said frame members and engaging an intermediate portion of each said rod, each such additional support being apertured to receive said rods and including portions adjacent such apertures adapted to overlie the rods when the rods are in position in said apertures, such supports being out of line with the apertures of the end supports and being thereby adapted to maintain said rods under flexure.

11. In a screen member, a frame including transversely extending channel members, pairs of said channel members having their open sides opposed, transversely extending supports of ilexible material associated with said channel members and each including a portion penetrating the opening of the channel member, and a portion overlying and shielding the top Yof the channel, generally rectilinear flexible rods extending between said supports, said supports being apertured to receive the extreme ends of said rods, said rods, when in normal inserted position, extending at4 each end into said apertures, said rods being suiiiciently ilexible to permit their withdrawal by flexure, additional frame members intermediate the ends of the rods, and additional supports of flexible compressible material mounted on said frame members and engaging an intermediate portion of each said rod, each such .additional support being apertured to receive said rods and including portions adjacent such apertures adapted to overlie the rods when the rods are in position in said apertures, such supports being out of line with the apertures of the end supports and being thereby adapted to maintain said rods under iiexure.

LOREN G. SYMONS. 

